Appears a 1/350 DeRuyter can be built from a 1/400 Graf Spee. One would need to remove 1" from the length, draught is identical. Hull lines are quite similar. All superstructure would need to be scratched but the hull is there. Beam is a bit of problem. 51'6" vs 71' or 1.77" vs. 2.13". Do you think .18" per beam would be noticeable?

If you need to scratch the entire superstructure, why not do the hull as well? These ships have very little in common except a superficial resemblance. The only German part is the catapult (didn't check if it's the same catapult, but then it would by off scale)

Because full hulls are hard and superstructure templates easily available from the various books, plansets, and rescaled paper models.

Draught is the same and length would be after 1" is removed from the 1/400. Beam is the problem. I dunno, I thought the hulls were similar in profile. But you are a dutchman and this is your cruiser. I bow to the home team.

I'm currently building a RNN Tromp 1:600 model (very heavily kit bashed 1:600 Narvik class destroyer) and have planned for a 1:630 build (Revell 1:720 - I figure its close enough to the 600 scale) of the RNN De Ruyter.

Length is perfect, superstructure will require some work, but I'm up for it, so the only problem is the beam. I like to build the full hull models, so even if I reduce the beam on the deck, I somehow need to find a way to pull in the beam on the hull.

If I can't - meh, I'm not a purist, to me near enough is good enough, but it would be nice to get it as close as possible to the actual beam.

Anyone got any ideas on how to reduce the beam of the hull a bit?

_________________After so much backchat it is but right, that Soemba should join in this fight - Soemba Docket

Last thing I heard on the Dutchfleet boards (but that was a long time ago and my recollection might be hazy), was that the research was by and large done, only the images had to sorted out copyright-wise, and the general layout of the tome done. Damn shame.

_________________If all else fails, a complete pig-headed refusal to see facts in the face will see us through. - General Melchett

I'm currently building a RNN Tromp 1:600 model (very heavily kit bashed 1:600 Narvik class destroyer) and have planned for a 1:630 build (Revell 1:720 - I figure its close enough to the 600 scale) of the RNN De Ruyter.

Length is perfect, superstructure will require some work, but I'm up for it, so the only problem is the beam. I like to build the full hull models, so even if I reduce the beam on the deck, I somehow need to find a way to pull in the beam on the hull.

If I can't - meh, I'm not a purist, to me near enough is good enough, but it would be nice to get it as close as possible to the actual beam.

Anyone got any ideas on how to reduce the beam of the hull a bit?

Not that anyone seemed to want to answer my question, but I managed to find a way to decrease the beam.

Essentially, after much research, I started a HNMLS Java build, using a Revell 1/720 Graf Spee, and a Airfix 1/600 kit.

1/720 Graf Spee hull matches the length of a 1/600 Java precisely, which only left the beam as an issue. A 1/720 Graf Spee beam is 30mm, which had to be reduced to 26.7mm. So, I scanned the deck of the graf spee into my scanner, reduced the width of the image until i got to 26.5mm, printed it out, and then used it as a trace for graf spee deck.

Then, over an hour or so, I very slowly shaved the deck down to the desired width using the printout. Obviously, with the reduced beam, the hull no longer matched very well, so I employed the use of 6 clamps to bring it all in. Looking good so far, and am using a sketch of the HNMLS Java I found on a Dutch website combined with around 12 selected pictures I have found on google to plan out the deck and guns.

For the guns, I am using the Graf Spee's 1/600 secondary guns, which are also 150mm, and look very similar to the Java class guns.

So far, so good.

I will also commence my 1/630 De Ruyter build once I can get my hands on a 1/700 Trumpeter Graf Spee. Have already bought the 1/700 Trumpter Prinz Eugen, which will provide spare pieces for the superstructure and the main guns.

_________________After so much backchat it is but right, that Soemba should join in this fight - Soemba Docket

My mistake.... I sort of consider 1:600 and 1:700 at bit interchangeable! Good luck with the project...If you go ahead and make De Ruyter you might note that if you make her "as sunk" then there was an extra bridge platform, the bofors had shields (put on only hours before her final sortie) and the aircraft / boat cranes were changed to a tubular type some time in 1940-1941.

The cranes were changed in the 37-38 period but I haven't pinned down the date yet. It appears only the boom was changed and the rest of the crane is the old crane. Also,t he smaller boats and davits on either side of Turret III were removed and 25 additional floats were added when the Ruyter arrived in Indonesia.

I haven't seen a good pic of the shields of the Hazemeyers (wreck pics are not too clear)....